San Francisco, March 21: Tesla has announced that it will close its Fremont, California, factory on March 23 in acknowledgement of the coronavirus crisis. Tesla CEO Elon Musk had come under widespread criticism from government officials, industry watchdogs and many consumers for attempting to keep production humming in the face of Alameda county's COVID-19-induced "shelter in place" order, CNET reported on Friday. Tesla Will Make Ventilators for Hospitals if There's a Shortage: Musk.

On Tuesday it was initially reported that Tesla wouldn't be subjected to the shelter-in-place order designed but the Alameda County Sheriff's Department shortly thereafter issued a statement proclaiming Tesla "is not an essential business as defined in the Alameda County Health Order. Tesla can maintain minimum basic operations per the Alameda County Health Order".

Musk has recently shown select signs that he was starting to take the global pandemic more seriously. He has offered to make medical ventilators from its Fremont, California factory for coronavirus sufferers. Responding to Pakistan's Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry, a tweet from Musk said the company would make ventilators if there was a shortage. The need for additional ventilators has taken center stage in the ongoing fight against the spread of coronavirus and the ventilator has become a critical first line of defense for patients infected by the virus.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 21, 2020 08:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).